Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Moretown is a Cool School! Check us out on Channel 44 and 22 here!





Check out our "Cool School" video clips on link provided below.   All 7 clips will posted by tomorrow at noon.   Some segments will be aired tonight at 6 and 10pm.  What a great way to start our day and our final day prior to the holiday.   A big thanks to everyone who made this experience a reality!  

http://www.mychamplainvalley.com/news/coolschool

Blood Drive at The Moretown School announced















Pint-Size Hero Blood Drive at Moretown Elementary

In collaboration with the American Red Cross, Moretown Elementary will be hosting a "Pint-Size Hero Blood Drive" on Thursday February 4th from 1-6pm in the gym.  This is a wonderful program that includes an educational program for students on blood's role in our body and the importance of donating blood.  A representative from the Red Cross will come and spend time with students in the classroom discussing these topics and then students will have an opportunity to observe the blood drive process the day of the drive.  

If you'd like to sign up to donate blood, please go to www.redcrossblood.org to schedule a time.  Walk-in donors are always welcome as well. In the red box that says "Find a Blood Drive", type in "MoretownElem" and click on the arrow.  On the next page, click on the Moretown Blood Drive and times to sign-up should come up.  Please contact Kelly Lu, School Nurse, with any questions at klu@wwsu.org or call or stop in to see me at school.  This is an exciting opportunity for our students and school and I look forward to seeing many of you there.  Please encourage friends and family to come donate and support this important cause! 

Friday, December 18, 2015

Moretown School Update December 18

Hello Moretown School Families,

Here are few updates for 
       December 18, 2015
Our lost and found is beginning to multiple -
many times over...
Come to claim what is yours in the main lobby
Items not picked up by next
Wednesday will be
taken to a clothing center
_________________________________________________________




The Moretown School will be featured
Local News ABC channel 44
and
Local News Fox channel 22
as a "Cool School" on
December 23 in the morning

We will be on live air for 8,  2 - 4 minute segments beginning at 5:00am
ending at 8:30am on Wednesday. We will showcase some of our programs
we have at our school and may be asking that some students show
up early to help us out.  This is a great opportunity for our
school to show why we are a "cool school".  More on this
early next week.

Our school food drive is getting close to our goal
We need approximately 250 more items by
Wednesday, December 23.  Send in items
with your children to help us meet our goal.
If reached, our school will view an all school movie
sometime in January.
_____________________________________________________





Friday, December 11, 2015

Moretown Messenger and Pizza Reminder!

Hello Moretown School Families,

Don't forget about our PTN pizza sale
 at the Moretown Artisans Sale
this weekend!  


























Think Snow!!!  












Here is the Link to most recent 
Student published Moretown Messenger 












Moretown School Board Meeting
December 14, 2015


Tuesday, December 8, 2015

PTN Update Ski program and Flatbread pizza sale


Come out and support our school and the PTN!
 whole frozen pizzas for $10.00 (cheese) , and  $12.00 (toppings)
 cooked slices for $3.00 (cheese) and $4.00 (toppings)


Sign up to help out here:  

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d4ba9a722a4fd0-moretown3
We are excited to let everyone know that the
the Moretown PTN is moving forward with our school Ski Program
For grades 1 - 6.  

Here are some important updates:

The program dates are
January 5, 12, 19, 26February 2 and 9
*All students grades 1 - 6 are expected to participate
(it will be a great opportunity)

*We will leave from the school around 11:30

*Students will arrive back to school to make the end of day busses

*Ski equipment must be transported to the school and picked up
by families, busses cannot allow equipment on busses when
transporting students

*We have enough parent volunteers to support our students!
each volunteer will:
go through a Sugarbush Ski Safety training and
a criminal background check

*For questions about registration or questions about the program
please email Becky Allen, out PTN coordinator

allenbecky@gmail.com 












Tuesday, November 24, 2015


Happy Thanksgiving to all Moretown School Families!  

Have a safe and happy holiday season with your friends and families..  



Moretown Messenger November 24, 2015

Our Moretown Messenger Student Staff 


Please take a look at our latest edition of the Moretown Messenger. Please click the link below
to what is going on from the eyes of our students.

https://sites.google.com/a/wwsu.org/moretown-messenger/home


Winter is Almost Here!  



Please remember that students needs to have winter gear, boots, snow pants, jackets, gloves and hats so we can enjoy recess and other outdoor activities during our amazing winter months.  The weather has been a bit warmer lately, but we suspect it will quickly change.  

What should education look like in the future?  Read on...   take our survey....

The Survey Takes Approximately 10 minutes and can be accessed here:  www.surveymonkey.com/r/rwwsu


Film Screen for all WWSU families 




Sunday, November 22, 2015

Film announcement, a survey for all WWSU families and a ski program update

Here is a film screening announcement for all WWSU families
regarding the changing face of our school
s.  
Here is survey for all WWSU families to take
The link can be found here:  www.surveymonkey.com/r/wwsu





Ski Program Update 

Thanks for your patience as we begin our first all student grades 1 - 6 ski program.  



We apologize for the confusion regarding the rentals/leases for the ski program.  This is our first year doing this so we are going to make some mistakes.  Last year we were able to offer a very low price for rentals because we had very few students and only 3 ski days.  This year because the entire school will be involved and we will be at the mountain 6 days the PTN cannot afford to do that low rental price again.

After speaking to the neighboring schools, we found out that they require students to have their own equipment.  

Here are the equipment options that we have for Moretown students this year:
1)  Snowshoeing - free equipment
2)  Skiing or Riding 
     - Bring your own equipment which can be leased for about $99 from most local ski shops including Waterbury Sports
     - Rent from Sugarbush for $14 per day for a total of $84.  If youchoose this option please fill out the appropriate parts of the registration form and include a check for $109 (the $25 program fee        plus the rental fee).
     - Contact Duane Pierson (dpierson@wwsu.org)  or Becky Allen (rallen@wwsu.org) if your  child wants to ski and ride but needs a scholarship for the equipment.

Thank you and we apologize again for the confusion.

Moretown PTN

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Words of wisdom from our school health office

SCHOOL NURSE REMINDERS

Health Questionnaires

If you haven’t returned the health questionnaire sent home by the School Nurse at the beginning of the year, please send this in ASAP.  If you need a new copy, let Deirdre or Kelly know and we will send one to you.

Ticks and Lyme disease

Please continue to check yourselves and your children for ticks after spending time outdoors.  Deer ticks (the tick that transmits Lyme disease) are able to survive throughout the year so the risk of Lyme disease is present year-round, though the highest risk of exposure is during the summer.  In 2014 in Vermont, 70% of cases of Lyme disease occurred between June and September (most in July & August).  Adult stage deer ticks become active every year after the first frost. They're not killed by freezing temperatures, and deer ticks will be active any winter day that the ground is not snow-covered or frozen.

For most tick-borne diseases, you have at least 24 hours to find and remove a feeding tick before it transmits an infection.  It is important to check your children each evening before bathtime or bedtime. Even a quick daily tick check can be helpful in finding and removing attached ticks before they can transmit an infection. You'll probably want to check even more carefully if you know you've likely been exposed. Many of the disease-causing microbes transmitted by ticks need a "re-activation" period in the tick once it begins to feed. The germs eventually make their way into the tick's salivary glands and the tick spits them into you while feeding. Some infections, especially viruses, move into the tick salivary glands faster than others. Lyme disease bacteria take at least 24 hours to invade the tick's saliva.


For more information on ticks, please visit the Vermont Department of Health website @ http://healthvermont.gov/prevent/zoonotic/tickborne/ticks.aspx or feel free to chat with Deirdre or Kelly in the School Health Office.

When to Keep Students Home From School

With cooling temperatures and the close quarters at school, germs and illness spread quickly so please remember the following when your child is ill:

*Always keep your child at home if they have an elevated temperature.  Temperatures should be normal for 24 hours (without Tylenol or Ibuprofen) before he/she returns to school.  Children with a temperature of 100 or above cannot stay in school, and parents will be notified to pick them up.

   *If your child has vomited or had diarrhea, please keep him/her home until 24 hours after the last episode.

   *If your child has any rash that may be disease related or you do not know the cause, check with your family doctor before sending the child to school.

   *If your child has eye drainage and the whites of their eyes are pink or red, please take your child to the doctor.  Your child should not be rubbing his eyes if they are infected.  If the cause is from bacteria, your child may return to school after they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours.

   *If your child has a persistent cough, please keep them home

   *Strep Throat:  Children need to stay at home for 24 hours after antibiotic treatment begins and they are without a fever.

  *Influenza: Children with influenza are typically contagious 1 day before getting ill through 5-7 days after the onset of symptoms.  Please keep your child home for this time period if they are diagnosed with Influenza.

   *Please notify the school immediately if your child develops a communicable disease (strep throat, Influenza, chicken pox, head lice, impetigo, scarlet fever, pink eye, pertussis (whooping cough), etc.)

   *If your child becomes ill or is injured during the school day, you will be notified so arrangements can be made for your child to be taken home.  Please notify the school if your phone number changes so we can contact you.

   *Please read the letters that are sent home by the school nurse.  If there is a communicable disease in your child’s classroom, you will be notified.

   * Children should be dressed appropriately for the season and specific weather. 

   *To prevent the spread of infection:
o  Use good hand washing
o  Cover the cough
o  Keep your child home if they are sick

Please be in touch at any time with any questions or concerns.  

Warm regards,
Deirdre and Kelly


Moretown School Announces Ski Program

Moretown School students (grades 1 - 6)  will ski this year!   See the link in the link cloud above for more information!
Thank you Moretown PTN!   

Friday, November 13, 2015

ACT 46 update

Act 46: Will the Six Towns in the WWSU Vote to Be Governed By One Board and One Budget?
By Brigid Scheffert  Nease, Superintendent of Schools
The WWSU Executive Board and the Act 46 Board Study Committee have been meeting jointly twice monthly since this past September. Their meetings are usually held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 5:30-9:30 at Harwood Union High School in the library. (They have a rescheduled meeting next Thursday, 11-19 due to the holiday.) Along with the administration and consultants, they are studying the law and its expected implications for the seven schools in the WWSU, in order to determine how best to proceed for our communities. All meetings are open to the public and usually broadcast on Mad River TV Channel 44.
Based on where the group is in our study process, we are ready to begin communicating regularly with our communities at large. This is the first of what I hope to be many publications from my office moving forward. This law is, of course, complex. The public can keep informed and up to date by visiting the www.wwsu.org website, where a tab has been created with all the documents and study materials the working group is utilizing. On the home page you will also find a dedicated email address, act46merger@wwsu.org where questions and thoughts can be shared with the committee and administration. While we do not have the capacity for individual replies, we will attempt to respond to the questions raised through future publications and at meetings. My State of the State to the WWSU faculty was dedicated to Act 46. It can be viewed by clicking on the link on the wwsu.org home page. You can also subscribe and follow my blog at neasesnotes.blogspot.com. The VT Agency of Education just revamped their website last week to include many Act 46 helpful resources.
Simply put, Act 46 is legislation that passed the spring of 2015 that turns supervisory unions (many boards and many budgets) into supervisory districts (like a Burlington, for example) where all seven schools are unified in a Prekindergarten through grade 12 structure governed by one board and one budget.
The stated goals of Act 46 of 2015 are five-fold:  1) provide substantial equity in the quality and variety of education opportunities statewide; 2) lead students to achieve or exceed the State’s Education Quality Standards; 3) maximize operational efficiencies through increased flexibility; 4) promote transparency and accountability; and 5) deliver education at a cost that parents, voters and taxpayers value.
In WWSU we understand that Act 46 is law and by 2019 all supervisory unions will be merged in some way, either voluntarily or by the authority of the State Board of Education. In WWSU we understand that Act 46 allows SU’s to design mergers now (the accelerated merger process) and take advantage of tax incentives (the carrot) that won’t be available should we decide to take the “wait and see” approach (the stick). Either way, we will be merged by 2019. We can do it for ourselves now or let the State do it to us later. From everything we have studied to date, it appears that the first groups to the party are the biggest winners, with all the incentives and none of the consequences, and the last groups to the party are the biggest losers with none of the incentives and all of the consequences.
At the present time, the WWSU working group has not formulated a position as to whether we think we would be winners, and, if so, how big. We do know that even if we feel we will be losers overall, we will lose bigger if we wait and do not take advantage of the incentives available to us.
The first real decision to be made is whether to hold a special election, likely in May or June 2016, so that all of our taxpayers will vote by Australian ballot to decide whether or not we will merge. A straw poll of representatives from all towns at our last meeting was unanimous to go for the vote.
Will merger necessarily close schools? No. Will merger make it easier to consider school closures? Yes. However, while it is no secret that a goal of Act 46 is to increase district-level student-to-staff ratios, school closure is no more a certainty under the merged board structure than future school closure in the absence of merger might be, considering declining enrollment trends.  The only reason any of our schools would close is because we don’t have enough students to populate them. This will be true in either scenario.
Will merger save taxpayer dollars? Maybe, or maybe not. The statewide education financing formula doesn’t change with Act 46 and there’s still only one checkbook at the State that taxpayers pay into for Vermont’s public education system as a whole. The amount of burden and relief depends not just upon how we, in WWSU, budget, but how every school district in our state budgets. Act 46 does include tax relief incentives, but only under a voluntary merger. If we wait until the State Board of Education merges us in 2019, we will not receive any of the tax relief incentives offered in the law.  However, through the education fund, we will be paying the incentives sent to the towns that have merged.
We are in the process of identifying the pros and the cons of merging our schools into one union school district. My next piece will share more of the specific benefits identified.
We believe that all WWSU schools offer a high-quality education environment, but Harwood Union High School is suffering the effects of declining enrollment from all of our towns, and that trend is expected to continue. In 2009 HUHS had 850 equalized pupils to draw revenue into the system. Costs including labor (roughly 3-5%) and health care (roughly 4-8%) (approximately 80% of the total budget) have continued to rise each year since then. The number of equalized pupils for FY 2016 at HUHS is 707. Therefore $9,459 per pupil x 143 fewer equalized pupils means a loss of revenue to operate HUHS of $1,352,637. We have not been one of those lucky communities where enrollment has risen and fallen but ultimately either leveled out or resulted in a small net decrease. We cannot afford ourselves now.
The high school building and its learning labs are aging and outdated. The enrichment opportunities continue to take hits each and every year as budget cuts are imposed. Other top tier high schools across the state are increasing the number of AP classes, adding languages and STEM programs, offering extra -curricular activities like speech and debate team, future engineers of America, Robotics Club, classes in coding, and so on.  A bare bones high school should be a concern to all of us as this, like nothing else, impacts property values. Families move into the towns of WWSU not just for the elementary school experience but also for the secondary school experience. We have a collective responsibility to maximize efficiencies across our SU to the greatest extent possible and improve the educational experience overall at the most reasonable cost that we can realize for our taxpayers.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

November 10, 2015 School Update


 5th Grade Explorers spend a night at the Museum of Science!  It was a great learning adventure!



PTN REMINDER ABOUT BREAKFAST EVENT 


November 14th - from 8am to 11am
Metal Recycling Drive - 8am to 1pm
Wreath Sale

We are need of coffee donations (both caffeinated and decaffeinated)  
if you can help in anyway please contact the school at 496-3742.





Food Drive ANNOUNCED


Help families and neighbors in need
The Annual Moretown School
Can we beat our record - 750 food items?
Donations will go to a local food shelf
Send in canned and nonperishable foods to your classroom starting on November 16
Thanks for your help with helping others!

Deadline December 21st!





Book Fair Volunteers Needed!  purple monster.jpg


The Scholastic Book Fair will be coming to Moretown Elementary School November 16-20.  To make this a successful event, Mrs. Wood is looking for some volunteers to help out.  To sign up please click the following link or talk to Mrs. Wood in the Library.  

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d4ba9a722a4fd0-moretown1





BASKETBALL SIGN-UP ANNOUNCED 


Wanted:  Basketball Players, Coaches and Referees

The Mad River Youth Basketball Program is actively recruiting girls and boys to play in our basketball league in grades 3-6 for our upcoming season.  The sign-up and informational night will take place at 6:00 on Tuesday November 17th at the Waitsfield School.  The cost of the playing on a team is $50 for the season, however we will find a way for everyone to play.
We are also interested in having new coaches join the league.  We usually have two to three coaches on each team to reduce the time commitment.  Mike Woods, Harwood Boys Varsity Basketball Coach will be providing a free coaching clinic.  We are looking for youth referrers from grades 7-12.  We pay $10 a game and provide a free referee training for interested youth.  If you are interested or have any questions please contact us atmrybbvt@gmail.com.   Go Mad River Basketball!




REMINDER... 
Parent/Teacher Conferences scheduler information...  

Step-By-Step Parent/Guardian Instructions
Moretown School
November Conferences 2015

  1. Visit the school’s homepage www.moretownschool.com and select the Online Scheduler icon/link (this is located by clicking on the "About our School" and using the link address provided there or by clicking on this link:




  1. From the Online Scheduler Home Page
    1. Choose your student’s school from the drop down list and click “GO”
    2. Enter the school password 3742
    3. Enter your student’s “Student ID”.  If you do not know their Student ID, use the LOOKUP STUDENT ID button to access the system.
    4. Verify the student’s birth date  
    5. A list of your student’s teachers will be displayed.  Check the box next to the name of each teacher(s) you would like to meet with.
    6. If you have more than one student in the school you can see all of your students’ teachers’ schedules at one time by answering YES to this question “Do you want to schedule conferences for another student?” then repeat the steps above for your other students.  If you only have one student, answer NO to that question.
    7. You will then see the available time slots for each teacher you selected.
    8. Select the times that work best for your schedule.  
    9. Enter your email address (recommended) if you would like an email reminder sent to you. (your email address is kept private.)
    10. Once you have finished you can confirm your appointment details and print your conference schedule.
    11. Write down the Confirmation Number (you will need this number to cancel your appointment)

Need help?  Contact the school’s Online Scheduler™ specialist:                   
Name: Pam Washburn
E-mail: pwashburn@wwsu.org
Phone: 802 496-3742


Ski and Skate Sale Announced


Get/sell your gear here!!

36th Annual Waitsfield Ski & Skate Sale
Waitsfield Elementary School
Saturday, Nov. 14,  9am-5pm
Sunday, Nov. 15, 10am - 2pm

New and used equipment and clothing for winter sports lovers of all ages.

All proceeds to benefit the Waitsfield PTA (20% commission of consignment sales).

Important dates and times:

Nov. 10 - 13 - Consignment pre-registration at WES 8:00am - 2:00pm, get your vendor #                              and pick up your tags.
Nov. 13 -  4-7 pm, Consignment drop-off.  Drop off your tagged items or register, tag, and                            drop.
Nov. 14 - 7:30 am - 8:30am, volunteer shopping hour (Volunteer on live at                                                     Waitsfieldschool.org)  9:00 am - 5:00pmsale open to the public.
Nov. 15 - 10:00am - 2:00pmsale open to the public.
Nov. 15 - 2:00, pick up unsold consignment items.

More details at Waitsfieldschool.org